eco-kids

What eco-kids does

Elseware Unplug, formerly operating as Eco-Kids, is a privately held U.S. company that designs, manufactures, and sells eco-friendly, non-toxic arts and crafts products targeting screen-free creative play for children, teens, and adults. Core products are handmade in Raleigh, NC, and include Eco-Dough (natural modeling dough with vegetable pigments and essential oils), non-toxic finger paint, 10-foot adhesive-backed Coloring Scrolls, the Analu Therapy Dough line (Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lavender scents for stress relief), watercolors, and curated bundles such as the Sensory Play Bundle, Mess-Free Kids Paint Bundle, Watercolor Essentials Bundle, and Watercolor Travel Set. The product portfolio is organized by age (Ages 2-5, Ages 6-10, Teens, Adults) and category, with differentiated positioning around natural ingredients and therapeutic/mindfulness use cases.

The company operates a dual-channel go-to-market. The primary channel is direct-to-consumer e-commerce via a Shopify storefront at elsewareunplug.com, supported by free-shipping thresholds ($35+), promotional freebies, and a 10% bundle discount to drive AOV. The secondary channel is wholesale, with a formal partnership with the Museum Store Association (recognized as a 2023 MSA Award winner) plus distribution through specialty retailers including Uncommon Goods, The Container Store, and independent shops. Pricing is unit-based across $9.99–$57.99 with no disclosed subscription or recurring component. Customer segments span children (primary), teens, adults, and B2B wholesale buyers; marketing is content-led via a blog ('Unplugged Living'), email newsletter, and earned media (NBC, National Geographic, Better Homes and Gardens).

Name

eco-kids

Website

https://ecokidsusa.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Elseware Unplug (formerly Eco-Kids) is a Raleigh, NC-based maker of handmade, non-toxic eco-friendly arts and crafts products — including Eco-Dough, finger paint, coloring scrolls, and Therapy Dough — sold DTC via Shopify and wholesale through retailers and museum stores to children, teens, and adults seeking screen-free creative play.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eco-friendly children's arts and crafts supplies

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG)

Keywords

• Eco-friendly arts crafts
• Natural kids art supplies
• Modeling dough
• Non-toxic finger paint
• Sensory play kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through their Shopify storefront. One-time product purchases with add-on upsell opportunities through bundles and complementary products.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale channel for retailers and museum stores to purchase products for resale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Elseware Unplug manufactures and sells eco-friendly, non-toxic arts and crafts products for children, teens, and adults — including Eco-Dough modeling dough, finger paints, coloring scrolls, watercolors, therapy dough with essential oils, art pads, and curated activity bundles. Products are primarily handmade in Raleigh, NC using natural ingredients such as vegetable pigments and pure essential oils. The company sells direct-to-consumer through its online Shopify storefront and to retailers via a wholesale channel.

Product overview

Elseware Unplug (formerly Eco-Kids) is an eco-friendly arts and crafts company offering a portfolio of natural, non-toxic creative products. The core product line includes Eco-Dough, Finger Paint, Coloring Scrolls, and Therapy Dough (Analu). The company sells both individual products and curated bundles (Sensory Play Bundle, Mess-Free Kids Paint Bundle, Watercolor Essentials Bundle, Watercolor Travel Set), organized by category (Paint & Tools, Drawing & Coloring, Eco-Dough & Tools, Kits & Activities) and age groups (Ages 2-5, 6-10, Teens, Adults). Products are handmade in Raleigh, NC, with many featuring natural ingredients like vegetable pigments and pure essential oils.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Analu Therapy Dough: Therapy dough line featuring pure essential oils and vegetable pigments in Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Lavender scents for stress relief and sensory calming.

Products and services

• Eco-Dough Natural, eco-friendly modeling dough handmade in Raleigh, NC, made with vegetable pigments and pure essential oils; designed for sensory play and creative activities for children.
• Finger Paint Long-lasting, shelf-stable, all-natural non-toxic finger paint designed for children; positioned for safe, screen-free creative play.
• Coloring Scrolls 10-foot adhesive-backed coloring scrolls with tear-off pages, designed for travel use and screen-free creative play.
• Therapy Dough (Analu) Therapy dough infused with pure essential oils (Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lavender) and vegetable pigments, positioned as a sensory stress-relief product for teens and adults.
• Sensory Play Bundle Curated kids' bundle of natural Eco-Dough (red, blue, green, yellow) plus dough tools and press, designed for sensory play at home.
• Mess-Free Kids Paint Bundle All-natural finger paint and art smock set bundled together for mess-free painting activities for children.
• Watercolor Essentials Bundle Watercolor painting bundle that includes a bamboo case, metallic watercolors, and paper pad.
• Watercolor Travel Set Portable watercolor set that includes a bamboo case, brushes, and paper pad, designed for travel and on-the-go painting.
• Art Pads 8.5" x 11" spiral-bound drawing pads with 50 pages of smooth, high-quality paper suitable for colored pencils, crayons, pastels, markers, and charcoal.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Museum Store AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Formal partnership with the Museum Store Association (MSA). Won the 2023 MSA Award, demonstrating recognition and preferred vendor status for museum retail stores nationwide.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Faber-Castell: Global art supplies manufacturer with broad portfolios in pencils, paints, and creative kits for children. Comparable as a maker of artists' materials and kids' creative products, but operates at global incumbent scale across mass and specialty channels.
• Crayola: The dominant mass-market kids' art supplies brand (crayons, paints, modeling compounds, kits). Comparable because it directly competes for the same shelf space, end consumer, and use cases (kids' creative play, classroom/activity kits) as Elseware Unplug, but operates at vastly larger scale and through broader mass and specialty retail.

Direct peers

• Hasbro (Play-Doh): Owner of Play-Doh, the category-defining modeling compound brand for children. Direct competitor in the modeling-dough/creative-compound category that Elseware Unplug's Eco-Dough targets, with similar end-consumers and retail placement.
• Sargent Art: Manufacturer of arts and crafts supplies targeted at children and schools, including paints, dough, and color products. Comparable as a direct maker of the same product categories (modeling dough, finger paints, kids' art supplies) as Elseware Unplug.
• ALEX Toys (Bramble): Long-established kids' arts, crafts, and activity kit brand. Comparable in product type (kids' craft kits, paints, modeling materials) and target customer (parents and gift-buyers) to Elseware Unplug, with overlapping retail and online distribution.
• eeBoo: Woman-owned maker of art supplies, games, and puzzles for children with a design- and sustainability-led brand. Comparable in eco-conscious kids' products, gift-shop/museum-store distribution, and curated AOV-skewed assortment as Elseware Unplug.
• Melissa & Doug: Large specialty brand for children's toys, arts & crafts, and creative play kits. Comparable because it sells through the same specialty/gift retail and museum channels (and competes for the same gift-shop shelf space) and targets a similar premium-parenting segment as Elseware Unplug.
• Craft-tastic (Channel Craft): Brand of curated kids' craft kits and activity bundles sold through specialty, gift, and museum-store channels. Highly comparable product format (themed craft kits) and channel mix to Elseware Unplug's bundle and museum-store strategy.
• Kid Made Modern: Kids' arts and crafts brand offering curated craft kits, paints, and DIY activity bundles at premium price points. Highly comparable in product format (curated kids' craft kits and bundles), price point, and target consumer as Elseware Unplug.
• Djeco: French designer of children's art and craft activity kits with strong design and gift-shop distribution. Comparable because of overlapping craft-kit products, similar premium positioning, and presence in museum-store and gift-shop channels where Elseware Unplug also sells.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eco-kids

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about eco-kids